Sample scrubber

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for breaking up, cooling, and water scrubbing solids and oils from a sample vapor stream.

United States Patent Ririe Feb. 22, 1972 [54] SAMPLE SCRUBBER 3,315,445 4/1967 Severslcy ..55/238 3,355,862 12/1967 Blanche! et al... [721 Rifle Banlesvllle' Okla- ,2 2,233 1/1917 Krause ..26l/79 A [73] Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company 1,048,111 12/1912 Tobeym- 1,926,723 9/1933 Jahnke.... [22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1970 585,568 6/1897 Greiwe ..26l/79 A [21] Appl. No.: 12,388

Primary Examiner-Tim R. Miles 52] us. 01. ..55/238, 261/79 A Marlmwitz s1 1 1m. (:1 ..B01d 47/011 and Ouigg [58] Field ofSearch ..55/170, 197, 219, 270, 237,

55/238, 386; 261/79 A, 118 [57] ABSTRACT [56] References Cited Apparatus for breaking up, cooling, and water scrubbing solids and oils from a sample vapor stream. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,840,454 6/1958 Tomlinson et al. ..261/79 A 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAMEDFEB 22 1912 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. o. E. RIRlE A 7' TORNEVS SAMPLE SCRUBBER This invention resides in an apparatus for removing solids and oils from a vapor sample stream. In another aspect, this invention resides in an apparatus for removing contaminants from a vapor sample stream prior to analysis of said stream.

Heretofore, utilized vapor cleansing apparatus associated with chromatographic analyzers generally used a column containing packing material and filters and somewhat complex cooling devices. These columns became fouled with the contaminants of the vapor stream and required frequent cleaning. The cooling apparatus was expensive to operate and maintain.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an ap paratus for the removal of contaminants from a vapor wherein said apparatus does not contain packing material or filters and thereby requires less maintenance. Another object of this invention is to cool the sample vapor stream with apparatus that requires less maintenance. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawings.

The drawings are diagrammatic views in partial section of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. I shows a sectional view of a shell, sample inlet line, and water nozzle of the apparatus, and

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus and associate equipment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a housing or shell 2 of the apparatus has an elongated chamber 4, a longitudinal axis, first and second ends 6,8 and first and second end portions 10,12 (better seen in FIG. 2). A vapor sample inlet line 14 extends through a wall of the shell at the second end portion 12 of the shell 2 and into communication with the chamber 4 and is directed toward the axis of the chamber. A water nozzle 16 extends through the wall of the shell 2 at the second end portion 12 of the shell 2 and into communication with the chamber 4. The nozzle 16 has an outlet end 18 that is adjacent and perpendicular to the pathway and longitudinal axis of the sample vapor stream discharging from the vapor sample inlet line 14. By positioning the water nozzle 16 at a location at which water discharging from said nozzle 16 intersects the vapor stream within the chamber 4 at a location spaced from the axis and adjacent the wall, the vapor stream is broken up into a multiplicity of small individual vapor volumes. As shown in FIG. 1, since the outlet end of each line 14,16 is adjacent one another and a wall of the shell 2, a great amount of turbulence is caused by the convergence of these two streams. It has been found that by so constructing the apparatus and by passing the sample and the scrubbing water into the chamber 4 at substantially equal rates on a volumn basis, the vapor sample is sufficiently cooled and scrubbed of solids and oils. The turbulence also inhibits contamination of the scrubber walls and thereby reduces the maintenance necessary to keep the apparatus in an operable condition.

Referring to FIG. 2, an outlet line 20 is connected to the first end 6 of the shell 2 and into communication with the chamber 4 for discharging vapor and water from the chamber 4. The opposed second end 8 of the shell 2 is preferably closed by a cap 22 that can be removed for inspection and cleaning of the apparatus.

A float check valve 24 is installed within the outlet line 20 to prevent the passage of water from the chamber 4 to associated equipment such as a chromatographic analyzer 26, for example. A water drain line 28 having a valve 30 therein is connected in communication with the outlet line 20 at a location between the valve 24 and the shell 2 for removing water and solids discharging from the chamber 4. The valve 30 can be a throttling valve, float dump valve, or other type valves known in the art which will release water from the apparatus continuously or intermittently while maintaining the sample vapor within the system.

Where the apparatus is used with a chromatographic analyzer and a vapor effluent stream from a naphtha cracking furnace 32, for example, it is preferred that the sample inlet line 14 have an inside diameter about twice as large as the inside diameter of the water nozzle 16 and the chamber 4 have an inside diameter about SIX times as large as the inside diameter of the nozzle inlet line 14 and that the first end portion 10 of the shell 2 be at a higher elevation than the second end portion 12 of said shell 2. By so constructing the scrubbing apparatus of this invention, fluids entering the chamber 4 at about equal volumetric rates of about 1,000 cc./min. will be confined to an area of unit length which will promote a desirable turbulence, cause effective water scrubbing for solid and oil removal, and break up the vapor stream. By providing for the breakup of the sample stream with a jet of water, the gas is cooled. Control of the water temperature can also be utilized as a method for controlling the amount of sample cooling that occurs.

Other modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for scrubbing solids and oils from a vapor sample stream, comprising:

a shell having an elongated chamber, a longitudinal axis,

first and second ends, and first and second end portions;

a vapor sample inlet line extending through a wall of the shell at the second end portion of the shell and into communication with the chamber and being directed toward the axis of the chamber;

a liquid nozzle extending through the wall of the shell at the second end portion of the shell and into communication with the chamber, said nozzle having an outlet end adjacent and perpendicularly directed relative to the pathway of the vapor discharging from the vapor sample inlet line for intersecting the vapor stream with a liquid stream within the chamber at a location spaced from the axis and adjacent said wall; and

an outlet line connected to the first end of the shell and into communication with the chamber for discharging vapor and liquid from the chamber.

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, further including a float check valve within the outlet line and a water drain line connected in communication with the outlet at a location between the valve and the shell for controlling and removing water discharging from the chamber.

3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sample inlet line has an inside diameter about twice as large as the inside diameter of the water nozzle and the chamber has an inside diameter about six times as large as the inside diameter of the sample inlet line.

4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vapor sample inlet line is associated with a naphtha cracking furnace and the outlet line is associated with a chromatographic analyzer.

5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first end portion of the shell is at a higher elevation than the second end portion of said shell. 

1. An apparatus for scrubbing solids and oils from a vapor sample stream, comprising: a shell having an elongated chamber, a longitudinal axis, first and second ends, and first and second end portions; a vapor sample inlet line extending through a wall of the shell at the second end portion of the shell and into communication with the chamber and being directed toward the axis of the chamber; a liquid nozzle extending through the wall of the shell at the second end portion of the shell and into communication with the chamber, said nozzle having an outlet end adjacent and perpendicularly directed relative to the pathway of the vapor discharging from the vapor sample inlet line for intersecting the vapor stream with a liquid stream within the chamber at a location spaced from the axis and adjacent said wall; and an outlet line connected to the first end of the shell and into communication with the chamber for discharging vapor and liquid from the chamber.
 2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, further including a float check valve within the outlet line and a water drain line connected in communication with the outlet at a location between the valve and the shell for controlling and removing water discharging from the chamber.
 3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sample inlet line has an inside diameter about twice as large as the inside diameter of the water nozzle and the chamber has an inside diameter about six times as large as the inside diameter of the sample inlet line.
 4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vapor sample inlet line is associated with a naphtha cracking furnace and the outlet line is associated with a chromatographic analyzer.
 5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first end portion of the shell is at a higher elevation than the second end portion of said shell. 